London's drive for a distinctive skyline continues unabated. Following
on from the Shard and the Gherkin, taking shape now are the
Walkie-Talkie and the Cheesegrater. (The half-finished Helter Skelter is
currently on hold, and the Scalpel is in the pipeline, as it were.)
The eyecatching feature of the Walkie-Talkie, at 20 Fenchurch Street, is
that it curves outwards towards its top, so the highest floors are
larger than those lower down, giving it the appearance of a giant
telephone receiver popping up through the city's buildings. Designed by
Rafael Viñoly, it is due to open in April 2014, and while most of us
usually have to make do with the external appearances of towers in the
financial district, this time there will be a "skygarden" open to the
public. The plan is that it will be free, but require advanced booking.
We'll see how that goes.
There's more about the Walkie-Talkie at www.james-hobbs.blogspot.com.
I look forward to seeing it next Wednesday.
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